Oh the places you’ll go

Today is the day I board my plane at Gatwick Airport, and begin my solo adventure seeking dark skies, and new horizons across the world. Day one of an epic solo adventure which will lead me across 4 continents in 305 days.

After catching the train from gloomy Bristol parkway station and waving goodbye to my mum. I watch the sunrise out the window, wishing me good morning for the last time in England for 10 months.

My flight path is taking me via Iceland (though sadly I don’t have a stop here), As I walk down the aisle and I can’t believe my luck, I have a window seat and the seat next to me free! I spread out my things, order a sparkling wine and start to realize what I have done, Montreal here I come!

Our flight was greeted into Iceland by vast anvil clouds bursting into rainbows, along the rugged volcanic coastline which was being beaten by huge waves. I watched a couple of surfers paddle out as we land. I only have a couple of hours before my connecting flight, Reykjavik airport is lovely! Comfortable, clean and modern, nothing like Gatwick! There is even a selection of coeliac friendly foods here and the loos are epic! Before I know it, It’s time board my plane to Montreal.

Ice sheets around Greenland

I strike gold again and get a row of three seats and the window and find myself glued to the views of Greenland. The view looked like mountain tops poking out of the tops of thick cloud, but it wasn’t! It was endless ice sheets and snow with a perfectly clear sky above, then glaciers, turquoise glacial rivers, mountains stretching out to an ocean of ice sheets. Absolutely stunning scenery, humbling.

Greenland views

Gorgeous glacier blues

This was when I realised what I was doing. Where I was going. My smile grew and my eyes began to well up. After everything I had been through, I had made it! And now I am going to live life to the fullest. Carpe Diem I said to myself, with my eyes welling up more, to life I toasted. To life!

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I arrived into Montreal at 1840 and by 1915 I was already on a bus to the Crowne Plaza, which had the interior which looked like it was based on The shining, huge long corridors with the same carpets I swear! It was quite fancy but a little run down, in the suburbs with a pool and water slide… but all I wanted was a bed. I slept like the dead and awoke at 5 am to my first Canadian sunrise, I drew my curtains and I got my first look of the Canadian railroad, and the double height mile long freight trains through the dusty morning light. I am in Canada!! I sat on the bed and looked at my ridiculously huge suitcase bursting with camera equipment and clothing for every season, I laughed at my ‘light packing’ and attempted to make tea in the coffee maker and got ready to begin my first day in Montreal.

Midday came around fast, and I had caught a cab to Turquoise B&B a beautiful place between Beaudry and Papineau Metro stations, really friendly neighbourhood based in the Gay Village.

The B&B is beautifully colourful, with sunlight pouring in. I had a cuppa on the Turquoise balcony overlooking the urban oasis garden, settled into my home for the next 3 nights and set off to explore the Montreal.

Over the next couple of days I will start making plans for the next step of my adventure to Toronto and Niagara falls and begin my journey across the Country to darker skies and the Canadian Rocky Mountains.